Career Timeline of Jeff Bezos: Major Achievements and Milestones

1986: Job Offers and First Employment

After Jeff Bezos graduated from college in 1986, he was offered jobs at Intel, Bell Labs, and Andersen Consulting. He first worked at Fitel, a fintech telecommunications start-up.

1986: Graduation from Princeton

In 1986, Jeff Bezos graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE), summa cum laude.

1988: Bankers Trust

In 1988 Jeff Bezos transitioned into the banking industry when he became a product manager at Bankers Trust.

1990: D. E. Shaw & Co.

From 1990 to 1994 Jeff Bezos worked at D. E. Shaw & Co, a newly created hedge fund with a strong emphasis on mathematical modelling.

July 5, 1994: Amazon Founded

On July 5, 1994, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott founded Amazon in a rented garage in Bellevue, Washington, after writing its business plan on a cross-country drive from New York City to Seattle.

1994: Move to Seattle and founding of Amazon

In 1994, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie moved to Seattle, Washington, where Bezos founded Amazon.

1994: Senior Vice President at D. E. Shaw

In 1994, Jeff Bezos was the fourth senior vice-president at D. E. Shaw & Co.

1997: Became a Millionaire

In 1997, Jeff Bezos first became a millionaire after raising $54 million through Amazon's initial public offering (IPO).

1997: Equity Offering

In 1997, Jeff Bezos raised $54 million during Amazon's equity offering to finance acquisitions of smaller competitors.

1997: Original public offering

The Motley Fool estimated that if Jeff Bezos had not sold any of his shares from its original public offering in 1997, his net worth would sit at $181 billion in 2018.

1998: Diversification into Music and Video

In 1998, Jeff Bezos diversified Amazon into the online sale of music and video.

1998: Early Investment in Google

In 1998, Jeff Bezos invested $250,000 in Google, becoming one of the company's first shareholders through Bezos Expeditions.

1998: Annual Letter for Amazon Shareholders

Since 1998, Jeff Bezos has published an annual letter for Amazon shareholders wherein he frequently refers to five principles: focus on customers, not competitors; take risks for market leadership; facilitate staff morale; build a company culture; and empower people.

1999: Acquisition of pets.com

In 1999, Jeff Bezos purchased a majority stake in pets.com and a portion of kozmo.com for $60 million, both of which would fail after the dot-com bubble collapse in 2000.

1999: Included on Forbes World's Billionaires List

In 1999, Jeff Bezos was first included on the Forbes World's Billionaires list with an estimated net worth of $10.1 billion, placing him 19th in the world and 10th in the USA.

September 2000: Blue Origin Founded

In September 2000, Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin, a human spaceflight startup, marking his formal entry into the aerospace industry. Bezos expressed long interest in space travel.

2002: Amazon Web Services Launch

In 2002, Jeff Bezos led Amazon to launch Amazon Web Services, which compiled data from weather channels and website traffic.

2003: Financial Rebound

In 2003, Amazon rebounded from financial instability and turned a profit of $35 million.

2003: Rob Meyerson Led Blue Origin

In 2003, Rob Meyerson started leading Blue Origin and served as its first president until 2017.

2005: Net Worth Increased

From 2005 to 2007, Jeff Bezos quadrupled his net worth to $8.7 billion.

2006: Land Purchased for Launch Facility

In 2006, Blue Origin purchased a large tract of land in West Texas to establish a launch and test facility, marking a significant step in the development of its space program.

November 2007: Amazon Kindle Launch

In November 2007, Jeff Bezos launched the Amazon Kindle.

2007: Net Worth Increased

From 2005 to 2007, Jeff Bezos quadrupled his net worth to $8.7 billion.

2009: Donations to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Jeff Bezos donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center several times between 2009 and 2017.

2010: Donation against Washington state income tax

In 2010, Jeff Bezos donated $100,000 towards a movement against a Washington state income tax for "top earners".

2010: Net Worth Increased

In 2010, Jeff Bezos's wealth rose by 85.2%, leaving him with $12.6 billion and ascending him to the 43rd spot on the Forbes ranking from 68th.

2011: Initial discussion of Alexa

In 2011, Jeff Bezos told Greg Hart that the goal was to create "the Star Trek computer", which became Alexa.

2012: Support for same-sex marriage legalization

In 2012, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos contributed $2.5 million to Washington United for Marriage, supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage in Washington.

May 2013: Meeting with Richard Branson

In May 2013, Jeff Bezos met with Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Galactic, to discuss commercial spaceflight opportunities and strategies, highlighting the growing interest in private space travel.

August 5, 2013: Purchase of The Washington Post Announced

On August 5, 2013, Jeff Bezos announced his purchase of The Washington Post for $250 million in cash, at the suggestion of Don Graham. He established Nash Holdings to own the newspaper.

October 1, 2013: Sale of The Washington Post Closed

On October 1, 2013, the sale of The Washington Post closed, and Nash Holdings took control of the newspaper under Jeff Bezos's ownership.

2013: Recovery of Apollo 11 Engines

In 2013, Bezos Expeditions funded the recovery of two Saturn V first-stage Rocketdyne F-1 engines from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, which were positively identified as belonging to the Apollo 11 mission from July 1969.

2013: Pledge to Worldreader

In 2013, Jeff Bezos pledged $500,000 to Worldreader, a non-profit founded by a former Amazon employee.

2013: CIA Contract

In 2013, Jeff Bezos secured a $600-million contract with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on behalf of Amazon Web Services.

March 2014: Online Paywall Lifted

In March 2014, Jeff Bezos made his first significant change at The Washington Post and lifted the online paywall for subscribers of a number of U.S. local newspapers in Texas, Hawaii, and Minnesota.

2014: Amazon wins CIA cloud computing contract

In 2014, Amazon won a bid for a cloud computing contract with the CIA valued at $600 million.

2014: Net Worth Rose to $30.5 Billion

In 2014, after a rumor broke out that Amazon was developing a smartphone, Jeff Bezos's net worth rose to $30.5 billion.

2015: New Orbital Launch Vehicle Announced

In 2015, Jeff Bezos announced that Blue Origin was developing a new orbital launch vehicle, with the first flight expected in the late-2010s.

January 2016: Reinvention of The Washington Post

In January 2016, Jeff Bezos set out to reinvent The Washington Post as a media and technology company by reconstructing its digital media, mobile platforms, and analytics software.

March 2016: Net Worth Registered

By the time the Forbes list was calculated in March 2016, Jeff Bezos's net worth was registered at $45.2 billion.

May 2016: Stock Sale

In May 2016, Jeff Bezos sold slightly more than one million shares of his holdings in Amazon for $671 million.

August 4, 2016: Another Stock Sale

On August 4, 2016, Jeff Bezos sold another million of his Amazon shares for $756.7 million.

October 2016: Wealth Increased

In October 2016, Jeff Bezos's wealth increased by $16.2 billion to $66.5 billion, unofficially ranking him the third-richest person in the world, behind Warren Buffett.

2016: Invitation to Defense Innovation Advisory Board

After the 2016 presidential election, Jeff Bezos was invited to join Donald Trump's Defense Innovation Advisory Board.

2016: Star Trek Beyond cameo

In 2016, Jeff Bezos portrayed a Starfleet official in the movie Star Trek Beyond and attended San Diego Comic-Con.

2016: Wealth's Rapid Growth

Jeff Bezos wealth's rapid growth from 2016 to 2017 sparked a variety of assessments about how much money Bezos earned on a controlled, reduced time scale.

2016: Bezos Speaks More Freely About Colonizing the Solar System

Since 2016, Jeff Bezos has spoken more freely about his hopes to colonize the solar system, and has been selling $1 billion in Amazon stock each year to capitalize Blue Origin in an effort to support this endeavor.

May 2017: Donation to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

In May 2017, Bezos donated $1 million to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, an organization offering pro bono legal aid to American journalists.

June 15, 2017: Twitter request for philanthropy ideas

On June 15, 2017, Bezos used Twitter to solicit ideas for a new philanthropic strategy, contrasting it with his long-term focus in business. At the time, his lifetime charitable spending was estimated at $100 million.

July 2017: Briefly Richest Person in the World

In July 2017, Jeff Bezos briefly unseated Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as the wealthiest person in the world after sporadic jumps in Amazon's share price.

October 10, 2017: Estimated Earnings in 5 Minutes

On October 10, 2017, Jeff Bezos made an estimated $6.24 billion in 5 minutes, slightly less than the then annual gross domestic product of Kyrgyzstan.

October 2017: Surpassed Bill Gates Sporadically

Throughout the month of October 2017, Jeff Bezos would continue to sporadically surpass Bill Gates as the wealthiest person in the world after Amazon's share price fluctuated.

December 2017: New Shepard Flies and Lands Dummy Passengers

In December 2017, New Shepard successfully flew and landed dummy passengers, pushing the human space travel start date into late 2018.

2017: Google Investment Value

In 2017, Jeff Bezos's $250,000 investment in Google in 1998 was worth approximately $3.1 billion, demonstrating a successful early venture capital investment.

2017: Rob Meyerson Left Blue Origin

In 2017, Rob Meyerson ended his leadership at Blue Origin after serving as its first president since 2003.

2017: Donations to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Jeff Bezos donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center several times between 2009 and 2017.

January 2018: Donation to TheDream.US

In January 2018, Bezos donated $33 million to TheDream.US, a scholarship fund supporting undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors.

January 2018: Announcement of Healthcare Company Venture

In January 2018, an announcement was made concerning Jeff Bezos's role within a new, unnamed healthcare company, later named Haven, in partnership with Amazon, JPMorgan, and Berkshire Hathaway.

January 19, 2018: Amazon Stock Holdings Appreciate

By January 19, 2018, Jeff Bezos' Amazon stock holdings had appreciated to slightly over $109 billion.

January 29, 2018: Super Bowl Commercial

On January 29, 2018, Jeff Bezos was featured in Amazon's Super Bowl commercial.

February 1, 2018: Highest Ever Profit

On February 1, 2018, Amazon reported its highest ever profit with quarterly earnings of $2 billion.

March 2018: Expansion into India

In March 2018, Jeff Bezos dispatched Amit Agarwal to India with $5.5 billion to localize operations throughout the company's supply chain routes.

March 2018: Meeting with Mohammad bin Salman

In March 2018, Jeff Bezos met with Mohammad bin Salman to discuss investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030.

May 2018: Blue Origin's Primary Goal Announced

In May 2018, Jeff Bezos stated that Blue Origin's primary goal is to preserve Earth's natural resources by making humanity multi-planetary.

June 2018: Donation to Breakthrough Energy Ventures

In June 2018, Bezos donated to Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a philanthropic fund founded by Bill Gates, focused on promoting emissions-free energy.

July 2018: Commercial Spaceflight Tickets Priced

In July 2018, it was announced that commercial spaceflight tickets would cost from $200,000 to $300,000 per person.

September 2018: Announcement of $2 billion fund for homelessness and preschools

In September 2018, Bezos announced a commitment of approximately $2 billion to address American homelessness and establish a network of non-profit preschools for low-income communities, creating the "Day 1 Families Fund" and "Day 1 Academies Fund".

September 2018: Donation to With Honor

In September 2018, Bezos donated $10 million to With Honor, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing the number of veterans in political office.

October 2, 2018: Company-Wide Wage Increase Announced

On October 2, 2018, Jeff Bezos announced a company-wide wage increase, raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

November 2018: New Shepard to Transport Humans to Sub-Orbital Space

In November 2018, it was announced that New Shepard would begin transporting humans into sub-orbital space.

2018: JEDI contract controversy

In 2018, a $10 billion contract known as the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) project with the Pentagon, was allegedly written in a way that favored Amazon, leading to controversy.

2018: Meeting with Amazon Investors

In 2018, it was reported that Jeff Bezos met with Amazon investors for just six hours a year, showcasing his unique approach to management and investor relations.

2018: Criticism from Washington Post employees

In 2018, more than 400 Washington Post employees wrote an open letter to Jeff Bezos criticizing his poor wages and benefits for his employees.

November 2019: Amazon lawsuit over JEDI contract

In November 2019, after the JEDI contract was awarded to Microsoft, Amazon filed a lawsuit alleging bias in the bidding process.

February 2020: Pledge to combat climate change through the Bezos Earth Fund

In February 2020, Bezos pledged $10 billion to fight climate change through the Bezos Earth Fund.

April 2020: Donation to food banks through Feeding America

In April 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Bezos donated $100 million to food banks through Feeding America.

February 2, 2021: Email to Amazon Employees

On February 2, 2021, Jeff Bezos sent an email to all Amazon employees, telling them that his transition would give him time and energy to focus on other endeavors.

February 2021: Announcement to Step Down as CEO

In February 2021, Jeff Bezos announced that in the third quarter of 2021, he would step down from his role as CEO of Amazon to become the Executive Chairman of the Amazon Board.

July 6, 2021: Pentagon cancels JEDI contract with Microsoft

On July 6, 2021, the Pentagon cancelled the JEDI contract with Microsoft, citing that "due to evolving requirements, increased cloud conversancy, and industry advances, the JEDI Cloud contract no longer meets its needs."

July 2021: Announcement of Courage and Civility Award

In July 2021, Bezos announced the Courage and Civility Award and donated $100 million each to Van Jones and José Andrés.

July 20, 2021: Bezos Launched on NS-16 Mission

On July 20, 2021, Jeff Bezos launched on the NS-16 mission with his half-brother Mark Bezos, Wally Funk, and Oliver Daemen. The suborbital flight lasted over 10 minutes.

September 2021: Bezos Co-founded Altos Labs

In September 2021, Jeff Bezos co-founded Altos Labs, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing longevity therapeutics.

November 2021: Pledge to donate towards food systems and nature conservation

In November 2021, at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Bezos pledged to donate $2 billion towards restructuring food systems and nature conservation.

November 22, 2021: Donation to the Obama Foundation

On November 22, 2021, Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation.

January 19, 2022: Altos Labs Launched

On January 19, 2022, Altos Labs left stealth mode and launched with a start capital of $3 billion and an executive team led by Hal Barron. The company was co-founded by Jeff Bezos in September 2021.

November 22, 2022: Awarding funds for relocating homeless families

On November 22, 2022, Bezos awarded $123 million to organizations focused on relocating homeless families to permanent housing through Day 1 Families Fund grants.

December 2023: Washington Post employees strike

In December 2023, around 750 employees at The Washington Post went on a brief strike in response to Jeff Bezos' plans to lay off staff.

February 2024: Stock Sale

In February 2024, Jeff Bezos sold 24 million shares in Amazon at a total value of $4 billion and announced plans to sell 50 million shares over the next year.

March 2024: Donations to Eva Longoria and Bill McRaven

In March 2024, Bezos donated $50 million each to actress Eva Longoria and retired admiral Bill McRaven.

December 2024: Focus on Artificial Intelligence

During an interview at the DealBook Summit in December 2024, Jeff Bezos said that he was dedicating 95% of his time to artificial intelligence initiatives at Amazon.

2024: Blocking Kamala Harris endorsement

In 2024, Jeff Bezos blocked the Washington Post's editorial board from endorsing Kamala Harris in the presidential election, leading to criticism and resignation.

2030: Discussion on investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030

In March 2018, Jeff Bezos met with Mohammad bin Salman to discuss investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030.